Police Barricade Independence Hill

This afternoon in Belmopan, the Belize Police Department was busy placing barricades at the base of Independence Hill to prevent protesters and other members of the public from advancing towards the Assembly Building during the budget debate.  While the unions and government are at loggerheads over the looming salary cuts, G.O.B. is taking no chances and has taken precautionary measures to avoid civil unrest.  According to Vice President Dean Flowers, the Public Service Union is aware that steps would have been taken to ensure that things don’t out of hand during the next two days. He insists there will be no violence.

Dean Flowers

Dean Flowers, Vice President, P.S.U.

“We are aware that that is being done at this moment and we have been aware that that would have been done.  It must be stated unequivocally that the joint unions enjoy the support of the security forces and as such, like in similar manner that Special Branch would provide the prime minister with his daily security briefing, in similar manner we have been afforded the same courtesy.  So we are fully aware of the instructions that are going out to commanders, we are fully aware of the plan of actions that are being put in place.  We are a disciplined organization.  We do not promote violence, we do not promoted hatred and we certainly do not promote division and so the police officers are doing what they need to do to ensure that if there is any faction from outside the union who may want to cause civil unrest that they can be dealt with accordingly.”